Cheryl Cole 'could need subtitles in US'

Cheryl Cole could need subtitles for US audiences to understand her when she records the American version of The X Factor, it has been claimed.

A poll from London-based language firm Today Translation put the Newcastle-born singer as the celebrity fourth most in need of subtitling for those abroad, behind Liverpudlian footballer Wayne Rooney, his Glaswegian manager Alex Ferguson and fellow Scot Susan Boyle.

The survey of 226 linguists was conducted the day after it was reported that Cole had been hired for the US port of the reality talent contest. It has previously been claimed that Cole will retain her Geordie accent if she goes abroad.

MD of Today Translations Jurga Zilinskiene said: "We think that Americans will love Cheryl Cole as much as Brits do. But we know that even many Brits have trouble understanding Geordie accents.

"We also wanted to know whether our linguists thought that Cheryl Cole might need subtitles when she becomes a judge on the US version of The X Factor."

Zilinskiene added of Cole: "She is an unofficial ambassador for Geordies. We are big fans of not just Cheryl Cole and Wayne Rooney but also of regional accents and dialects in general. We want to help them survive and flourish."